Fuse for shells.



" A. 1. STONE & L. w. ROCKWELL.

"FUSE FOR SHELLS. APPLICATION FILED MAR. 21. 191B.

1,301,760. V Patented Apr. 22,1919.

G. Y I 7 v /f 0 g "w 2/ I-IW O m M 1m /6 A I 'I {Tofilliukom it may concern: I

. B'e'fitknownthat ,we, ANDREW JJSTONE "and LEA W; ROOKWELL, citizens ofthe United fstates, and residents of Washing- V' ijton, Districtof Columbia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in 'Fuses forShells, of which the following is j specification. V i

it 7 "This invention relates to fuses for projectiles,-and more particularly to the imfpact'type" of fuse adapted to be located in the nose ofthe projectile. One of the objects of the present inven- 1 tion' is f to -provide a simple and practical '15 {fuse particularly adapted for use in connection withflat-nose, non-ricochet shells, althoughof course it is to be understood that it is applicable to the other types without material alteration. .-{*Anot her -object is to provide a fuse of the above character having relatively few parts which will be inexpensive to manufacture -and;assemble. A further'object is to provide-afu'se of the vabove type which will be safe to handle yet reliable and efiicient in usef' iA further object is to provide a fuse "particularlyadapted for use with underwater shells to produce instantaneous expl0si'on' on impact with armor, either on direct orglancing hit.

-' LOther objects will be in part obvious from the annexed drawings and in part indicated analysis of this invention. Z f} Thislinvention accordingly consists-in the l features of construction, combination of parts'anjdin the unique relations of the membersiand in the relative proportioning and disposition thereof; all as more completely outlined herein.

To 7 enable-others skilled in the art so fully to comprehend the underlying features thereofjthat they mayembody the same by 1 the -numerous-mo'difications in structure and 4:5 "relation contemplated by this invention, drawings depicting "a preferred form have been-annexed as a part of this disclosure, and in such drawings, like characters of referenoe denote" corresponding parts througha out all the views, of which i Figure '1 is a longitudinal central, secw tiorfal 'view ofthe" fuse,'and Fig. 2 is a Y; transverse sectional view taken on the line '55 Referring now to n connection; therewith by the following the drawing in detail;

j Sumerian OFFICE.

s'roNE Ann LEA-W. ROCKWELL, or wasnrive'rolv, nrsrnrc'r or COLUMBIA,

- I ASSIGNORS TO THE GOVERNMENT on THE imrrnn STATES,

' rnsn non SHELLS. v i

V Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Apr. 22, 1919 Application filed March 27, 191a Serial No. 225,095.

and assume that the stock is applied to the nose of the projectile, 5 denotes a fuse stock body member having a threaded forward portion 6 adapted to screw-into the forward end of a projectile. The rear part of this stockmember 5 is in" the form of an annular flange 8, within which fits a plate 10 having a central threaded boss 11' adapted to screw into the first member 5. Thisplate 10 is preferablymade of aluminum, or other light and inexpensive material, and is provided'with a central longitudinal passage 12 terminating in a plurality of radially disposed branches 13 communicating with a chamber l l formed thereabout and within the flanged portion 8i-of"thc first member 5. This chamber 14 is adapted to be filled with a high explosiveiconstituting the "booster charge, which is ignited by the flash from a cap 15 located in the centralpart of the fuse stock. i

In the front face of the stock there is provided a recess 16 holding a frusto-conical member 17 of brass or othersoft metal within which is sweated a hard steel ball 18. The ball projects beyond the outer'face of stock body member 5' and is so exposed that on eitherla direct or glancing impact the ball will be driven in to actuate the firing,

pin. 'The member 17 has an annular cut away portion 19 on its outer surface to permit compression, and a central longitudinal bore 21 adapted to. seat a firingwpin 22. The steel ball 18, provided at the forward end of the firing pin, is firmly seated in the brass member 17 so that accidental actuation is Prevented. 'Interposed between the rear end of the .firing pin 21 and the detonating cap-15'isia safety member inthe form of a pivotally mounted gate 23 held in place by means of apin 24 and aspring 25, which gate is adapted to swing out wardly from its. recess under centrifugal action during the flight: of the projectile,

overconiing'the 'efiect of spring 25and placing the fuse in armed position;

From the above itwill be seen that when the projectile is fired, this gate 23 swings outwardly thus leaving the cap 15 exposed whereby it may be hit by the firingpin 22 on impactof :the projectile with armor. On such impacttheball 18 and firing-pin 22 are driven inwardly, compressing the soft brass member 17 by" reason of 'its cu't away portions 20 thereby allowing thepin 21 to engage the cap 15, which in turn ig nites the, booster charge and explodes. the The simp1icity,.1reliability efiiciency of the'presentdevice will be ob proj ectile.

vious to those skilled in the art. Without further analysis, the foregoing will so fully reveal. the gist of'thisfinv'en} tion that others can by applying. current. knowledge readily adapt it. for. variouslap-f plications without omitting certain features that, from the standpoint oftheprior' art,

fairly constitute essential characteristics of the genericuor specific; aspectsof this. inven-' tion, and therefore such adaptations should and are-intended to-be comprehended within the meaning and range of equivalency of the following'claimsi V -We claim as'our. invention;

1 r 1. A fuse comprising a cylindrical body chamber for the booster charge, a boss integral with said plate member having its outer end threaded for engagement with said body member and provided with a; detonator cavity and passages affording communication between said cavity and sald chamber, a detonator in said cavity, means for exploding vi'ded with a recess,'a second member of rela-' said detonator, and a'safety device mounted to swing in said cylindrical body member and normally interposed between said firing means ands aid detonator but adapted to move to armed projectile.

'3. A f'use comprising a body member pro tively soft metall c composition seated in said recess, a firing'pin mounted in said-second member, and a -relatively hard metallic body held by said seco'nd'member and'projecting beyond the face thereof, and asso-' ciated with saidfiringpin, the saidhard metallic body being adaptedztocollapsesaid soft metallic member'andactuate'said firing pin on impact i v 4. Afuse comprising a body member provided'with a recess, a second member of relatively soft metallic compositionseated in said recess, a firing pin mounted in said second member, and'a relatively hard me- I tallic body held by said second member and to ic; or. t s patent may be QMMMQIOI'MG cen c by res n the nsr asst-i :metallic body; heldjby said 'frusto-conlial i actuate said firing pin on impact.

positioned in said collapsible body and asposition on the flightof the firing pin on impact. r

5. Afuse comprising a bodymember provided with a recess, a frusto-conical member of relatively soft, metallio composition portions, a firing pinimounted in: said frusto-conical memberand a: relativelyihardmember andgprojecting: beyond the face collapse said Vfrusto-conical- ;member and 6. A fuse comprising a body member pro.- 0

vidednwith a recess, a frusto-conicalmember of V relatively l soft metallic composition seatedin said recess and having cutaway: portions, a firing pin mounted in said i frusto-conical' member and a relatively hard metallic body held by said frusto c'onical member and projecting beyond the face j thereof and associated with said firing pin, said hard metallic body being adapted to compress said frusto-conical member and actuate said firing pinonimpacti '7. In a device of the character described, a body, a detonator therein, a collapsible 7 member mounted in said body; afiringfpin 95 sociated with said detonator, an exposed im pact member consisting of a relatively hard metallic composition held by said collapsible a seated in: saidgrecessand having cutaway thereof and associatedwith said-firing pin, said hard; metallic body, being 'adaptedg to' member adapted tocollapsesaidcollapsible member and-actuate said firing "pin to,ex 10o plode said detonator on impact, and a-safety device normally interposed between said fi'ri ing'pin and said detonator but adapted to move to armed positionon the flight of the projectile. i -1-' 8. In a device of the character jdescribed, a body, a detonator therein, acompressible member mounted in said body, a firing pin positioned in said compressible body and as- V sociated with said detonator, an exposedim-"l lo pact. member'consisting of a. relatively hard metallic compositionheld by said compres sible member adapted to compress said com- 7 pressible member and actuate said'firing pi-n to explode said detonator on impact, anda safety device normally interposed between Said firing pin and said detonator butad'apt; f V ed to move to armed position on the flight ofythe'projectile.

Signed at Washington, District of colum 12o bia, this l5thiday of March, 1918. p I M 1 ANDREW STONE v 

